Interlude of Color
by Phx
Summary: A moment in time. A brief interlude of color in the life of a young family. Weechesters.


**Weechesters. Just a little moment in time in the Winchester family album... thanks to Alaina for the beta.**

**Interlude in Color**

"Why do we see in color?" Sammy's young voice broke the quiet of the morning.

John Winchester had bundled his boys up for a brisk spring excursion in the woods to teach his older son, Dean, tracking. He'd left the eleven-year-old about ten minutes behind them, with instructions to wait fifteen minutes and then follow, knowing six-year-old Sammy would leave an easy trail.

A month shy of his seventh birthday, Sam was a bundle of inquisitiveness. Young enough to still believe everything John said, old enough to ask more thought provoking questions.

"What?" he stalled, although he had heard the child the first time.

"Why do we see in color?"

"Because we're human." Even as he said it, John knew it wasn't going to be enough. He glanced down at his watch then picked out a nice spot for them to wait knowing it wouldn't take his intrepid pre-teen very long to find them. A small creek ran between the trees surrounded by large flat rocks, and he tipped his head towards them indicating for Sam to sit down.

"But why do humans see in color?" the child persisted as he sat down and stared up at his father with large hazel eyes, bright with curiosity.

"Because we're special," John went for simple.

Sam frowned, obviously unsatisfied with that answer. "Why are we special?"

John sighed, scrubbed a hand over his face and mentally hurried Dean along. _"Because,"_ he looked at the little boy wondering if Bobby would consider watching Sam the next time he took Dean out in the woods, "we can see in color."

A smile tugged at his lips at the perturbed look on the youngster's face. "Daddy," Sam whined. "That's not the answer!"

"Why not?" Ah, but John did love to turn the tables on his boys. Kept them on their toes.

"Because," arms folded over his slim chest, Sam pouted. "It's not."

"Well then, why do you think we can see in color?" The hunter turned the question back on the child challenging Sam for an answer. As curious as the kid was, he was also bright and creative so John was actually looking forward to hearing what Sam came up with on this.

He wasn't disappointed.

"Well," Sam started, his young face amusingly serious, "so the cavemen could see the dinosaurs hiding in the trees and they wouldn't get eaten." And then before John could get over his shock, Sam yelled, "Dean!" jumped off the rocks and hurried towards his brother as Dean jogged towards them through a clearing.

"Sammy," John heard his oldest grumble, "you weren't supposed to tell me where you were – I'm supposed to find you." He grabbed at his sibling as Sam darted just out of reach.

"You did find us," Sam supplied giggling as his brother snagged his shirt and yanked him back into a headlock. "Let go!"

"Boys," John shook his head in mild exasperation. Yeah, Bobby was definitely getting called into service next training day. "Enough."

Instantly Dean let go and Sam straightened and then stared up at his bigger brother. "Hey, Dean, guess what?"

Oh God, the hunter mentally groaned, here he goes again… he pulled out a bottle of water and held it to the boys.

"What?" Dean asked as he took the water and swigged back half of it before pressing it into Sam's hands.

"Daddy doesn't know why we see in color!"

Dean quirked an eyebrow at John and the man could see the tug of a smile on his lips. "Really?"

"Really," Sam was deadly serious. "But don't worry I told him."

Now the pre-teen looked slightly worried and an inkling of suspicion began to form in the back of John's mind as Dean hedged. "Told him what?"

"That we see in color 'cause if not then the cavemen wouldn't be able to see the dinosaurs hiding in the trees and they'd have all gotten eaten. And without cavemen there'd be no us – that's why," Dean relaxed and started to smile until Sam added, pride in his voice, adoration shining on his face, "Just like you told me."

John folded his arms across his chest and quirked an eyebrow at his oldest.

"Well… uh… huh," Dean shifted on his feet, carefully edging away from his father and brother, but Sam wasn't having none of it and easily stuck by his side.

"Is that so?" The man fixed his older son with a look, sadistically enjoying watching his usually unflappable kid squirming.

"It is," Sam nodded emphatically.

"Well then," deciding to end Dean's torture before the boy became a flight risk, John started to walk deeper into the woods and called over his shoulder confident the kids would follow. "I'd be very interested to know why he thinks we don't hear as well as dogs…"

Dean blanched. Sam got a very excited look on his face and he turned towards his brother, but before the six-year-old could even ask the question, Dean countered with "Hey look!", pointed behind them and then darted away when Sam – sweetly gullible – jerked around.

Sam yelled, "Hey!" and took off after his brother.

John glanced at his watch, saw the day was still young, and followed. Training Dean with Sam in tow might be challenging at times but it was definitely not boring –

And then Dean yelled "Jaberwocky!", the two boys came crashing back through the brush right in front of him and John found himself absently wondering if maybe boring might be nice…

Every once and a while.

The End


End file.
